Thermal performance of printed circuit boards (PCBs) is an important factor for PCB design. In antenna systems, the concentrated integrated circuits (ICs) that constitute an actively electronically steered array (AESA) generate heat that may cause localized overheating that can impair the performance of the electrical components. The PCB itself is generally not a good thermal conductor because the substrates of the PCB are typically made of insulating dielectric materials. To avoid localized overheating and in an attempt to ensure the normal performance of the electrical components, various methods are employed for heat dissipation, such as electrically conductive adhesives, thermal vias placed underneath the electrical components, and external heatsink.
Further, localized heat dissipation methods have been developed using pieces of copper that are integrated into the PCB during its production process, including press-fitted copper coins, adhesive bonded copper coins, and embedded copper coins. Each of these methods have certain limitations, however. For example, the press-fitting methods is limited to a PCB sized 40 mm by 40 mm due to overstressing. Accordingly, there still exists a need for an effective heat dissipation method to avoid localized overheating.